Rail brace



Dec. 9, 1958 w. A. HARPER RAIL BRACE 5 Sheets- Sheet 1 Filed April 30, 1956 FIG.

NV'gNToR WESLEW A. HARPER ATTORNEYS Dec. 9, 1958 w. A. HARPER 2,863,608 RAIL BRACE Filed April 30; 1956 5 Sheet-Sheet 2 I INVENTOR 26 WESLEY A. HARPER @a muw7 K- m% ATTORNEYS W. A. HARPER RAIL BRACE 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed April 50, 1956 FlG.5.

F'IG..6

INVENTOR WESLEY A; HARPER WQ M ATTORNEXS' 2,863,608 Fatented Dec. 9, 1958 RAIL 'BRACE Wesley A. Harper, Tatamy, Pa., assignor to Harsco Corporation, Harrisburg,.Pa., .a corporation of Delaware Application April 30, 1956, Serial No. 581,449

6 Claims. .(Cl. 238292) This invention relates to novel and improved rail brace structure and more particularly to an adjustable rail brace of the type providing a resiliently yieldable connection between the rail and '.the usual tie plate or like supporting device.

Rail braces are subjected .to relatively large forces which cause deflections and reactions in the brace itself and also in associated parts such as the tie plate, the sleeper or tie to which the plate is secured, and the rail. The weight of the train is transmitted vertically through the wheels and rails to the brace and plate, the rail acting as a beam subjected to vertical flexure. Transverse horizontal forces from the wheel flanges are transmitted through the brace and plate to the sleeper, the rail again acting as a beam subjected to transverse fiexure. Also longitudinal forces are exerted on the rails by the tractive force of the engine wheels and the braking effort of all of the train wheels.

A resiliently ,yieldable connection between the rail and tie plate is desirable to dampen the shocks resulting from such forces and to protect the brace and plate structures as well as the anchorage of the brace structure to the plate. Further. such a connection can yield to compensate for variations in different rails and tie plates with which it may be used; being installed or readjusted as hereinafter described to establish an initial flexure, it can reduce wear by maintaining pressure between the .mating or wearing surfaces; audit can also compensate for such wearas does occur by unfiexing from the condition of flexure established at the time of installation or readjustment.

The objects of the present invention are to provide an adjustable, resiliently yieldable rail brace of improved construction which accomplishes the desirable results mentioned above in a novel and effective manner and also provides the advantages of economical production, simplicity of operation, .ease of installation and of subsequent adjustment, .and infrequent need for adjustment.

One embodiment of the invention has been illustrated in the accompanying drawings, but fit is to :be understood that said drawings are for purposes of illustration only and are not to be construed as a .definition of the limits of the invention, reference being bad to the appended claims for this purpose.

In said drawings,

Fig. 1 is a plan view, partly in section, of ;a rail :brace embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is a side view of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an end view of Fig. 1-;

Fig. 4 is a sectional view on the line .44 of Fig. 1;

Figs. 5 and 6 respectively are plan and side elevations of the wedge member of the rail brace;

Fig. 7 is a perspective view of the wedge member; and

Fig. 8 is .a perspective =view .of means for holding the wedge in ,position.

7 The rail brace is carried by a .tie ,plate extending transversely underneath and supporting the rail and also restraining the rail against lateral movement in one direction. This tie plate may be of the usual or any suitable construction. As shown, it comprises an elongated plate 1 of rectangular cross section which is notched or recessed at 2 to receive the base flange -3 of a rail 4. It will be understood that the dimensions of the plate will depend on the size or section of the rail to be braced and on other elements of special track installations as 'known to those skilled in the art.

Anchored to the tie plate in any suitable manner is a brace member which cooperates with a suitable wedge in known manner to engage the rail and wedge the rail base in and against one side of the recess 2 in the tie plate 1 as shown in Figs. '3 and 4. Accordingly the brace member is provided with a horizontal wedge surface which is disposed at an angle to the horizontal and with a vertical wedge surface 'disposed at an angle to the vertical longitudinal plane of the rail. The desired angle of the vertical wedge surface is advantageously provided by setting the brace member as a whole at the proper angle to the longitudinal axis or length of the tie plate, so that a vertical end face of the brace member makes the proper angle with the vertical longitudinal plane of the rail. Such an arrangement is shown in the drawings in which the brace member 5 is mounted on and secured to the tie plate 1 with its center line (indicated by section line 44 of Fig. 1) at an angle to the center 'line or longitudinal axis of the tie plate 1. Thus the end faces of the brace facing the rail, although at right angles to the center line of the brace itself, are disposed at the desired wedge angle relative to the rail.

The brace member 5 is preferably a .casting which may be secured to the tie plate in any suitable manner. As shown, the brace and tie plate are welded together .at 6, and the tie plate has an aperture '7 receiving a lug 8 projecting from the brace member and welded in the aperture as shown at 9 The brace may be suitably cored for lightness as indicated at 10. The end of the brace toward the rail is shaped to provide the vertical and horizontal wedge surfaces in any desired way. As shown, vertical end faces 11 and 12 are connected by an undercut surface 13 which constitutes a horizontal wedge face as hereinafter described and for this reason slopes vertically from one side of the brace to the other, being highest at the left-hand side of the brace as viewed in Figs. 1 and 2.

The wedge member 14 is likewise provided with vertical and horizontal wedge faces that cooperate with the vertical and horizontal wedge faces of the brace. As shown, the wedge is approximately L-shaped in cross section. The vertical face 15 of its upper portion constitutes a wedge surface engaging the end face 12 of the brace. The wedge then extends horizontally at the "bottom to provide a horizontal wedge surface 16 cooperating with the undercut wedge surface '13 of the brace, and a second vertical wedge face 17 which cooperates with the wedge surface 11 of the brace. Suitable bearing members can be interposed between the mating surfaces if desired. As shown in Figs. 2 and 6, the horizontal wedge surface 16 of the wedge member slopes vertically from one end of the device to the other, being highest at the left-hand end of the device as viewed in these figures and having an inclination corresponding to that of the undercut surface '13 of the brace.

Thus when the wedge 14 is moved into place between the brace and the rail (from left to right as viewed in Fig. l), the cooperating Wedge surfaces of the wedge member and brace force the rail so as to maintain its base flange in engagement with the right-hand edge of the recess 2in the tie plate, :and also force the base flange 3 of the rail downwardly to hold the rail firmly in the recess. As shown in cross section in Fig. 4, the wedge is preferably designed so that it is stiffer with respect to vertical forces than with respectto horizontal forces, so that a greater force is exerted downwardly against the base flange of the rail than is exerted laterally against the web of the rail. The slopes of the wedge surfaces may be varied to suit conditions. By way of example, the slopes of the horizontal wedge surfaces 13 and 16 relative to the horizontal, may be one in sixteen whereas the slopes of the vertical wedge surfaces relative to the longitudinal plane of the rail may be one in eight. It will be understood, of course, that these slopes are specified merely as illustrations.

The wedge member is further constructed and arranged to provide a resiliently yieldable connection between the brace and the rail with respect to both vertical and horizontal forces exerted on the rail. To this end projections are arranged adjacent each endof the wedge member 14 which extend vertically downward into engagement with the base flange 3 of the rail and laterally into engagement with the web 4 of the rail, these projections extending beyond the intermediate portion of the wedge which normally does not engage the rail. Preferably the rail-engaging projections take the form of rib-like elements in vertical planes at each end of the wedge member. At the left-hand end of the wedge member as seen in the drawings, for example, the rib has a vertical portion 18 which extends laterally into engagement with the web 4 of the rail throughout substantially the entire vertical height of the wedge member, but may be cut back somewhat as shown at 19 to allow for rail marking at the middle part of the web. The vertical portion 18 terminates at the beginning of the rail fillet 20 which connects the web 4 with the base flange 3, the rib being cut back across this fillet. Beyond the fillet, however, the horizontal portion 21 of the rib engages the base flange 3. The rib portions 18 and 21 thus constitute a continuous rib around the end of the wedge member which spans the gap between the L-shaped body of the wedge and the rail. 7

A similar arrangement is provided at the other end of the wedge which is provided with a rib having a vertical portion 22 and a horizontal portion 23, the rib being cut back at 24 to allow for rail marking and the vertical and horizontal portions 22 and 23 being discontinuous across the rail fillet 20 as already explained.

For strengthening purposes and also to limit the deflection of the wedge at its intermediate portion, a similar rib having vertical and horizontal portions 25 and 26 may be provided, but this rib does not extend outwardly from the body of the wedge as far as the end ribs described above. Thus the wedge does not normally contact the rail except at its ends, a certain amount of clearance being left at the center as clearly indicated in Figs. 3 and 4.

In order to hold the wedge member 14 in its wedged position between the brace and the rail, it may be suitably notched or serrated as'shown at 27 and the brace may then be provided with a suitable locking member adapted to engage one of the serrations 27. Another feature of the present invention resides in the provision of a novel locking member which not only engages the wedge and locks it in position but also serves as a slid ing bearing plate between the wedge and the brace. Referring to Fig. 8, these objectives are accomplished in a simple and convenient manner by forming a flat metal strap into a substantially U-shaped member having a bight portion 28 and legs 29 and 30. This U-shaped member fits around the end face 11 of the brace, said end face 11 being preferably notched as shown at 31 to receive the bight 28 and the legs 29 and extending along the sides of the brace. The leg 30 may advantageously comprise only a portion of the width of the locking member, the remainder forming an extension 32 coplanar with the bight portion 28 to provide improved guiding of the wedge.

The locking action is advantageously provided by bending the other leg 29 reversely back toward the wedge as shown at 33, the reversely extending end 34 being adapted to engage in one of the serrations 27 mentioned above. Preferably the width of this end of the locking member is greater than the width of the remainder so as to provide a tab 35 which extends upwardly above the horizontal wedge surface 16 for easy access when it is desired to release the locking member from the serration 27.

The use of the device will be apparent to those skilled in the art from the foregoing description. When the device is installed, the wedge is driven in between the brace and the rail to any desired extent. The only tool needed for this purpose (or for subsequent adjustment) is a sledge hammer or spike maul for striking the large end of the Wedge, which is preferably provided with a striking face 36. The wedge may be installed for light pressure service, i. e., that position of the wedge as determined by the locking member at which there is initial pressure between the brace, wedge and rail, or the wedge may be driven in further until the locking member engages in the next serration 27 for high pressure service. As a rule, original installations and readjustments should provide high pressure service, the wedge assuming a condition of initial flexure.

Long continued service with the parts flexing and moving relative to another will result in wear of the mating pressure surfaces and the setting of the device will approach light pressure service. The wedge may then be readjusted to high pressure service conditions simply by striking the face 36 with a sledge hammer. The locking member will seat automatically in the next serration 27 when the wedge is advanced the proper distance. To release the rail for any reason, the locking member is first freed from the serrations 27 in any suitable way. The tab 35 makes it easy to use a pinch bar or like implement for this purpose. Then the wedge can be removed by striking its small end with the sledge hammer.

It will be understood that rail braces embodying the invention may be used in various combinations if desired. For example, they may be installed two to a tie plate for service on opposite sides of a rail, or four to a tie plate for service on opposite sides of a pair of rails, etc.

While only one embodiment has been described and particularity, it is to be expressly understood that the invention is not restricted to this embodiment but can be embodied in a variety of mechanical forms many of which will now occur to those skilled in the art, and that various changes may be made in the form, details of construction, and arrangement of the parts without departing from the spirit of the invention. Reference should therefore be had to the appended claims for a definition of the limits of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. A rail brace structure, including a rail having a base flange and a vertical web, comprising a rail-supporting plate receiving the base flange, a brace mounted on said plate and having vertical and horizontal sloping wedge surfaces opening toward the rail, a wedge movable relative to and between said brace and the rail to wedged position between said brace and rail and having correspondingly sloping surfaces for engagement with the wedge surfaces of said brace, locking means on said brace for holding said wedge in wedged position, rail-engaging elements proximate the ends of said wedge projecting laterally and downwardly beyond said wedge for engagement respectively with the vertical web of the rail and with the base flange of the rail at longitudinally spaced points and an intermediate portion of said wedge between said rail-engaging elements normally free of engagement with said rail but in engagement with said brace.

2. A rail brace structure as defined in claim 1, said rail-engaging elements comprising rib-like projections in substantially vertical planes.

3. A rail brace structure as defined in claim 1, said intermediate portion of said wedge having lateral and downward projections medially between and of less extent than said end projections and normally out of engagement with the rail to limit the deflection of the inter mediate portion of said wedge toward the base flange and the vertical web of the rail when said wedge is driven to wedged position.

4. A rail brace structure as defined in claim 1, said brace being mounted with its center line at an angle to the longitudinal axis of said plate equal to the wedge angle of the vertical surface of said wedge whereby the end face of the brace is parallel to said vertical surface of said wedge.

5. A rail brace structure as defined in claim 1, said locking means for retaining said wedge in wedged position comprising a U-shaped member of resilient material fitted around a vertical wedge surface of said brace and in contact with the adjacent Wedge surface of said wedge to provide a seat for said wedge, serrations in said adjacent wedge surface one of the legs of said U-shaped member having an extension bent reversely toward and into locking engagement with said serrations of said wedge.

6. A rail brace as defined in claim 1, said locking means including serrations in said wedge, a resilient pawl carried by said brace to engage said serrations and lock said wedge, and a bearing member interposed between adjacent wedge surfaces of said brace and wedge, said pawl comprising an integral extension of said bearing member.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 633,288 Mills Sept. 19, 1899 837,175 Anderson Nov. 27, 1906 943,206 Wardle Dec. 14, 1909 1,167,109 Peppers Jan. 4, 1916 1,464,235 Berczik Aug. 7, 1923 1,682,887 Coleman Sept. 4, 1928 1,872,848 Told Aug. 23, 1932 

